Another newbie with a table saw question???

Hello, New to the forum but have been lurking for a long time. I am looking to get started in woodworking as a hobby mostly. I am looking at buying a table saw for my small shed workshop, 10×12 shed so space is very limited. I have looked at both the Rigid Model R4510 portable saw and the Rigid Model R4512 contractor saw but have not ruled any others out at this point. My question is If it was your shop would you sacrifice the room to have a contractor style saw or would you go with the portable saw and save the space? Thanks Hoyt

16 replies so far

This is a tough call, and impossible to say without understanding what else will be in the shed, and what you intend to build. Having said all that, in a space that small, I would probably lean toward the portable saw. There may be times when you want to pull the saw completely out of the shed. If the weather is decent this is an easy task with a portable, and a bear with a contractor saw. That looks like a decent portable saw. I would suggest that you take a look at the Bosch as well. My father-in-law has the Bosch, and it has plenty of power, good fence for a saw in that class, and the stand was solid and easy to collapse. I would get a nice thin kerf combo blade and that saw should do anything you want it to do, and perform quite well.

Since the table saw is the main tool in woodworking I would give up the space for a contractor saw. I’ve owned Bosch and other portable saws and they just don’t compare to a contractor saw. When you think about it even when the portable saw is folded up it still takes up 60% of the space a contractor saw will take, My students who have purchased the Ridgid contractor saws have been very pleased with them.

a smaller portable saw will work for most projects. It really depends. I works for several years in a 14×14 shop and used a portable saw. I just sold it. It was a makita 2407. the only thing I didn’t like was I couldn’t build a zero clearance insert for it. I’d look for one that I could if I had to do it over again. I’m glad I now have a bigger shop.

Sorry guys. Yes, I am still here. I was off for a day or two working around the house on some remodeling projects. Thank you all very much for your comments and insight. My shed is the only place I have to work my other hobby (HO scale trains) occupies the basement. Plus I live in a half double house So the noise from saws and other woodworking machines might upset the neighbors. I would love to have a larger shed or better yet a garage but my small yard and even smaller pocket book prohibit that right now. I do have an older model portable Black and Decker tablesaw that was given to me by my parents when they sold there house but its a major POS. When I turn it on I can watch the blade wobble, the fence is really bad and one of the stamped steel wrenches needed to change the blade broke. I am really just starting out in a woodworking hobby I am not new to woodworking and have build some stuff using the tools I have and loved wood shop in highschool. I would like to set up my shed as a small woodworking shop. I know I will not be able to get huge machines in there, but I do know that the TS is the heart of the wood shop. I was just looking for opinions on which type of saw you would go with if it was you and If you would sacrifice shop space for saw quaility.

You can also do a surprising amount of work with portable handheld power tools and hand tools. With these sorts of tools and a table saw you can build most anything. Under these conditions you wouldn’t be that crowded with the larger saw.

-- If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away. Henry David Thoreau

The R4512 is not only a more substantial saw than the R4510, is much quieter if noise is a concern. Your shop is definitely small, but if you can make it work, there are some significant advantages going with a stationary saw with cast iron components and a belt drive induction motor.

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